The Cognitive Crucible Podcast

#208 Rand Waltzman on Disinformation 101

Cognitive Crucible

Each week, The Cognitive Crucible podcast explores all aspects of our generational challenge: Cognitive Security.

Discussions with information operators, national security thought leaders, scholars, and politicians cover a wide variety of topics related to cognitive security and the information problem including:

History of Information Warfare and Propaganda
Cyber and how it relates to Cognitive Security
Different threats posed by state and non-state enemies
Creating a Whole of Society Effort
Constitutional and Legal Matters
Psychology: How does the human mind work (or NOT work)
Disinformation and fake news: How does it work? What can be done?
Impact of technological advances on disinformation
The roles of DHS and DoD
Hybrid Warfare and implications for cognitive security
Ally perspectives across the West
Beyond the Homeland: cognitive security in other areas of the world

The Cognitive Crucible is sponsored by the Information Professionals Association. IPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

Interested in being a podcast guest? Please follow these pitch instructions (link).

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

While you’re here, consider joining or donating to IPA.

Episodes

#208 Rand Waltzman on Disinformation 101

#207 Kay Nissen on Second Mover Advantage

#206 Chris Stirewalt on Broken News, KayFabe, and Operatives

#205 Nick Loui on Transforming Chaotic Data into Actionable Intelligence

#204 Sharon Russell on Information in Emergency Management

#203 Scott Hall on Synchronizing Effects in the Information Environment

#202 Genia Simkin on Bypassing DNS Blockades

#201 John Bicknell on Cognitive Indicators and Global Competition

#200 Remi Whiteside on Media, Information, and Data Literacy Fundamentals against Malign Information in the Open Information Environment

#199 Ellen McCarthy on Trust in Media and Information

#198 Melissa Graves, Frank Emerson, and Pat Hendrix on OSINT

#197 Maksym Tereshchenko on How the Russia-Ukraine War Sparked a New Era in Risk Management and Cognitive Security

#196 Dave Troy on Threats to Democracy

#195 Michael Zequeira on the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting

#194 Mike Hall on the Moral Imperative of Our Time

#193 Hatteras Hoops on Human Domain Security

#192 Dr. Josh “Bugsy” Segal on the American Maginot Line

#191 Jose Davis on Public Affairs Integration and Leveraging AI for Operations in the Information Environment

#190 Army Command and General Staff Information Advantage Scholars Symposium

#189 Todd Wilcox on PAI, OSINT, and Regulations

#188 Joanna Siekiera on China

#187 Randy Rosin on Reflexive Control

#186 Rod Korba on Vygotsky’s Inner Speech

#185 Becky Fair and Hannah Lincoln on Disrupt and Overwhelm Strategies

#184 Curtis Fox on Hybrid Warfare

#183 Julie Janson on Air Force IO Talent and Strategy

#182 Ben Kessler on the OEO Model of Measurement

#181 Melissa Giannetto on Media Literacy

#180 Tanna Krewson on Cognitive Warfare and Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution

#179 Brian Russell on The Tie that Binds

#178 John Davis on Four Operational Rules of the Road

#177 Tom Kent on How Russia Loses

#176 Bob Jones on Special Operations at a Crossroads and Strategic Influence

#175 Ryan Ratcliffe on Cognitive Warfare

#174 Kara Masick on Assessment Insights from Program Evaluation

#173 John Gentry on Active Measures, Reflexive Control, and Useful Idiots

#172 Stephen Hunnewell on Geopolitical Risk in Asia and the Grey Zone

#171 Molly Dwyer on the Other Side of the Internet

#170 Ben Zweibelson on Complex Warfare and the Future

#169 Adam Fivenson on Shielding Democracy

#168 Mike Vera on Health Propaganda

#167 Kevin Gates on the IPA President Search

#166 John Agnello on Information Advantage

#165 Aaron Schmidt on Information Considerations for Exercises

#164 Shane Rutherford on Political Paralysis

#163 Jake Siegel on the Hoax of the Century

#162 Meredith Wilson on Corporate Threat Intelligence and Risk

#161 Max Nauta on Multinational Operations in Strategic Competition

#160 Christopher Paul and Mike Williams of the Journal of Cognitive Security

#159 Steve Schiavoni on Competitive Deception in the Indo-Pacific

#158 Brian Godwin on Countering Cognitive Warfare

#157 Paul Lieber and Janis Butkevics on AI Best Practice in DoD

#156 Christopher Mesnard on Attitudes, Actions, and Behaviors via Narrative-Based Decision-Making

#155 Luke Shabro on the Army Mad Scientist Project

#154 Todd Leventhal on Countering Disinformation

#153 Andy Whiskeyman and Mike Berger on the Importance of Dedicated Resources

#152 Dennis Katolin on Information Maneuver

#151 Daniel Runde on Chinese Soft Power

#150 Jill Goldenziel on China and the Philippines

#149 Jon Askonas on Technology, Homogeneity, and Influence

#148 Kalev Leetaru on GDELT

#147 Nita Farahany on Cognitive Liberty

#146 Sebastian Bae on Gaming

#145 Frank Strickland and Chris Whitlock on AI Education for Leaders

#144 Nick Eberstadt on Demographics

#143 Conrado Dungca on ISR

#142 Brian Murphy on Freedom/Security Tradeoff

#141 George Pullen on the Space Economy

#140 Tom Ferris on Cognitive Ergonomics

#139 Austin Branch and Andy Whiskeyman on Phoenix Challenge London

#138 Matthew Canham on Cognitive Security

#137 Vic Garcia and Mike Berger on Information Operations and Intelligence

#136 Victoria Nash on Internet governance and Regulation Related to Children

#135 Dave Maxwell on North Korea and Influence Operations

#134 Daniel “Plato” Morabito on a Comprehensive Theory of Information Warfare

#133 Joe Littell on Cyber-Enabled Influence Operations

#132 Brian Russell on OIE Truths

#131 Brian Burbank on the Ghost Team, Transparent Battlefield Concepts and Multi-Domain Operations

#130 Teasel Muir-Harmony on Spaceflight, Foreign Policy, and Soft Power

#129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence

#128 Matt Armstrong and Chris Paul on the U.S. Information Agency and Foreign Policy

#127 Robert Redfield on Biological Viruses

#126 Edgar Hollandsworth on Talent Development and Intelligence Support for OIE

#125 Journey from conception through JP 3-04

#124 Dean Cheng on China, Space, and Information Operations

#123 Jonathan Roginski on Insider Threats

#121 Koichiro Takagi on East Asia Security

#120 Bill Bray on Navy IW Road to Serfdom

#122 Josh Nespodzany on Narrative in Enterprise Environments

#119 Katherine Carman on Truth Decay

#118 Joe Kirschbaum on the GAO’s Information Environment Themes

#117 Sam Woolley on Journalism, Propaganda, and Ethics

#116 Matt Jackson on Social Learning and Game Theory

#115 Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect

#114 Rubens Portugal on Brazilian Information Operations

#113 Jeff Engstrom on Chinese Systems Warfare

#112 Jake Sotiriadis on the Value Proposition of Future Studies

#111 Victoria Coleman on Science, Technology, and Innovation

#110 Sean McFate on The New Rules of War

#109 Howard Bloom on Truth and Soul

#108 Jocelyn Brady on Brain Play

#107 Vanessa Otero on News Ecosystem Health

#106 Mike Taylor on the Global Engagement Center

#105 Tom Kent on Persuasion in the Developing World

#104 Glen Edwards on Integrating Information Warfare and Information Power

#103 Jon Roozenbeek on Ukraine and Disinformation

#102 Brian Schweers on the All Domain Effects Team Concept

#101 Heather Gregg on Identity and Myths

#100 Rand Waltzman on the Metaverse and Immersive Virtual Reality

#99 Roger Carstens on Hostage Negotiations & Diplomacy

#98 Arun Seraphin on the SASC and Emerging Technology

#97 Christina Nemr on Counter-Extremism

#96 Emma Briant on Computational Propaganda and Public Trust

#95 LtGen Matthew Glavy on MCDP 8 Information

#94 Lisa DeFalco on Communications Analysis

#93 Todd Huntley on Information Operations & the Law

#92 Patrick Williams on the Weather and IO

#91 Denver Dill on the Arts and Music

#90 Dave Acosta on Informationally Disadvantaged

#89 Ajit Maan and Paul Cobaugh on Narrative

#88 Courtney Cano and Kaitlyn Tierney on Diverting Hate

#87 Lori Reynolds and Austin Branch on the Phoenix Challenge

#86 Nick Starck and David Bierbrauer on Vulnerabilities in the Military Use of AI

#84 Suzanne Spaulding on Disinformation, the Foreign Malign Influence Center, and Civics

#85 Josh Kerbel on Anticipatory Intelligence and Complexity

#83 Joseph Lee on Jung and Archetypes

#82 DeRosa and Castillo on Measuring Effectiveness of Operations in the Information Environment

#81 Cassandra Brooker on the Effectiveness of Influence Activities

#80 Hank Thomas on VC Tech interface w National Security

#79 Mulvaney on China In Their Own Words

#78 Phoenix Cast Dual Release

#77 Lopata on Quantum

#76 Levin on the US Constitution and Institutions

#75 Manyx on the MCIOC

#74 Tabassi on NIST, Technology Standards, and Trust

#73 Brafman on the Starfish, the Spider, and Resilience

#72 Komnick on Cybernetics and the Age of Complexity

#71 Lee on the F35 and Cognitive Load

#70 Hess on the Information Environment and Adapting the Military

#69 Venhaus on the Cognitive Security Proving Ground

#68 Norman on Cognitive Immunology

#66 Ragsdale on DoD Tech Modernization

#65 Guillory on Cognitive Neuroscience Applications

#64 Radabaugh on Informational Power and the JIOWC

#63 Vickers on IO and the Cyclops

#62 Rauch on the Constitution of Knowledge

#61 Coyle on the Australian Perspective

#60 Swallow on Air Force Studies, Analyses and Assessments

#59 Moffett on Societies, Identity, and Belonging

#58 Kallberg and Hamilton on POWs in a Digital World

#57 Carley on Social Cybersecurity and the BEND Framework

#56 Jones on Governance

#55 Schramm on AI, Supply Chain Risk Analysis & Manpower

#54 Parode on the Information Environment

#53 Watts on Domestic Extremism

#52 Gehlen and Smith on Navy MISO and Competition

#51 Bonus Episode Phoenix Challenge

#50 Gioe on Active Measures and Implications for the West

#49 Armstrong on the Smith-Mundt Act

#48 Bendett and Edmonds on AI and Autonomy in Russia

#47 Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Values

#46 Ryder on Public Affairs

#45 Cicalese on Risk

#44 Armistead on the Journal of Information Warfare

#43 Schuck on C2 and the C-OODA loop

#42 Chudoba on NGA Tech Acquisition and “Moonshot”

#41 Ilves on the Estonian Perspective

#40 Mitchell on Jack Voltaic

#39 Dyer on the Section 809 Panel and Risk Management

#38 Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment

#37 Vivian on MCDP 1-4 Competing

#36 Ghose on Disruptive Innovation, Amazoogle, and Entrepreneurship

#35 Dawson on Social Media Weaponization

#34 Chiu on Market Intelligence and the Competition for Attention

#33 Cole on FICINT and the Cognitive Warfighting Domain

#32 Treverton on Intelligence Global Trends and Technopolitics

#31 Beebe on Wicked Problems

#30 Cunningham on Cyber

#29 Kallberg and Hamilton on Force Protection in the Cognitive Domain

#28 Mushatare and Branch on PSYOP, Manpower, and IO Initiatives

#27 Farwell on Information Warfare and Strategic Communications

#26 Mitchell on Prioritizing Information Operations

#25 Kelly on the Mapping and Decoding of Influence, Propaganda and Putin

#24 Davis on Modern Warfare, Teamwork, and Commercial Cognitive Security

#23 Holiday Bonus Episode

#22 Mulvenon on Our Peer Adversaries

#21 Villano on Congressional Authorities

#20 Paul on the Firehose of Falsehood

#19 Holzmann on PSYOP

#18 Sear on Xenowar

#17 Bradley on the Cognitive Security Intelligence Center

#15 Bonus IPA/AFCEA Alamo Information Warfare Panel Discussion

#16 Brown on Deception Technology

#14 BDJ on Threatcasting

#13 Russell on Behind Enemy Lines

#12 Tammekänd on Deepfakes

#11 Jacob on Social Norms, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration

#10 Tom Kent on Striking Back

#9 Jackson and Lieber on Are We Our Own Worst Enemy?

#8 Doowan Lee on COVID Disinformation

#7 Randy Rosin on Russia and Applied Cybernetics

#6 Ben Riley on Innovation and Risk

#5 Robert Thibadeau on Lies

#4 Tony Sgro on Education, Terrorism, and Information Operations

#3 Chris MacPherson on Business Innovation

#2 Austin Branch, the US Army’s First Information Operations officer

#1 Rand Waltzman on Cognitive Security

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